Dr. Heidegger's Experiment: Youth

Doctor Heidegger’s Experiment- Youth In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Dr. Heidegger's Experiment he paints the world with the pessimistic viewpoint that people don’t change and their vices will always remain. Nathaniel explains this in the story by showing his characters as old men and turning them young with Dr. Heidegger’s elixir. All the guests are foolish and show their vices in different ways. The elixir turning them young, allowing them to repeat the same mistakes they made the first time further displays their foolishness. Nathaniel believes that people are narrow-minded, petty, and should not be expected to change given the opportunity. All of the characters in Dr. Heidegger's Experiment share the same motif of being blessed with good fortune and losing it due to youthful foolishness. Each guest shows this vice in a particular way. Mr. Medbourne’s sin is greed. He obsesses over …show more content…
In her youth she had many men vowing for her, including the three previous guests, but, “Certain scandalous stories”, have since ruined her reputation. The four guests don’t hesitate to drink the elixir and soon the youth brings them to repeat the mistakes of their past. They all express their respective vices and the three men are soon seen once again repeating the mistake of fighting over the beautiful Widow Wycherly. Dr. Heidegger observes the four guest’s foolishness, seeing how they repeat the mistakes of their first lives. Nathaniel presents Dr. Heidegger as the converse of the first four characters. Dr. Heidegger, much like his guests, has had an unfortunate life, however he is wise enough to not drink the elixir stating, "For my own part, having had much trouble in growing old, I am in no hurry to grow young again.” Knowing he would repeat the mistakes of his past. Dr. Heidegger simply wants to observe his guests. He realizes the youth the elixir gives is a curse more than a